Chapter 360: Cuckolded in Minutes
"Melody, I’m sorry. I haven’t thought about leaving Stellaris. At least, not yet."
"I understand your attachment to Stellaris, but there’s something I have to say. Stellaris isn’t what it used to be. It’s not the company you’ve always wanted to protect. And there are even bigger changes coming. President Sterling has a legitimate Mrs. Sterling now. It’s *their* Stellaris, not yours."
Rose Shaw felt a sharp pang in her heart.
’Not her Stellaris...’
’In truth, it never was.’
’It wasn’t hers before, and it certainly won’t be in the future.’
"Rose, will you start thinking about it? Please? Trust me, it’s not a difficult decision."
"Alright, I promise. I’ll think about it."
Melody smiled and nodded.
"I have to take care of something in the city. I’ll be back first thing tomorrow morning." Rose Shaw stood and headed outside. Her car was parked nearby.
Melody noticed someone else was in the car.
"There’s someone else in your car?"
"Felix Hughes is with me."
"You two..."
"He doesn’t care that I can’t have children. He said we could adopt. Our relationship isn’t what you think, though. It’s not like we’re talking about marriage or adopting a child to start a family. I just think... maybe I could give dating a try."
"Rose! That’s wonderful!" Melody knew Rose Shaw had always been a strong person.
Even after suffering such a major trauma, she’d managed to come this far. She was a force to be reckoned with, and on the surface, she still seemed so powerful, as if nothing could ever break her.
But Rose Shaw hadn’t truly let go. She felt that being with Felix Hughes while her heart was still occupied by Christopher Sterling was unfair to Felix.
Still, she wanted to find someone to see if they could help her slowly forget Christopher Sterling.
’If even Felix Hughes couldn’t do it...’
’...then perhaps no one in this world could.’
Watching Rose Shaw’s retreating figure, Melody let out a soft sigh.
’She really didn’t know if this was a good thing for Rose or not.’
’She was afraid Rose was just grasping at straws, and that the "cure" would end up being worse than the disease.’
"AHEM!" Keith Coleman emerged from the shadows, clearing his throat twice.
Keith Coleman had arrived a while ago and had been listening to Melody and Rose’s conversation from the shadows.
"Melody, are you really planning to leave Stellaris? That’s fantastic!" To him, this was the best news he could have possibly heard.
"Don’t spread rumors. And whatever you do, don’t let Mr. Fairchild hear about this. Otherwise, if I don’t end up at Starfall, you’ll be the one to face the consequences."
Keith Coleman instinctively flinched.
’He wouldn’t dare repeat something like that.’
’If he went scurrying off to tell President Fairchild, only for Melody to not end up at Starfall... President Fairchild would probably twist his head off and kick it like a soccer ball!’
Keith Coleman realized his new boss had him completely under his thumb.
"And one more thing. I’m warning you!"
"What is it?"
"Stop bothering Rose! Things are going well between her and Director Hughes right now."
"Melody, why are you always taking an outsider’s side? What’s wrong with me? Am I any worse than that Hughes guy?"
"Director Hughes has waited for Rose for years. He’s devoted and faithful! They were also childhood friends, so Rose knows him really well—that’s a bonus. Plus, his private life isn’t as... sordid as yours!"
"I—!"
"Director Hughes is capable and reliable. He might seem a little old-fashioned sometimes, but he’d never do anything to cross the line. A guy like you, on the other hand, would probably cheat on Rose in a heartbeat."